Midnight
by maddiebug0225
Summary: It's been ten years since the Cullens' encounter with the Volturi. They are now living with the Denali Coven in Alaska. Renesmee Cullen is now all grown up, living in what she believes is a fairy-tale with Jacob Black. Just as things are beginning to settle down, Nessie and her father are slowly drifting apart. Which leaves them vulnerable to a bigger threat no one saw coming.
1. Chapter One

"Oh, Nessie..."

I heard the familiar voice disrupt the silence from behind me. I felt those familiar hands wrap around my waist. I silently hoped that my father wasn't within range to hear mine or Jake's thoughts just then, it was always embarrassing when he did. I tilted my head back to look into Jake's eyes, but then found his lips on mine. I closed my eyes and mentally appreciated every single bit of him; his scent, his body, his beauty, his lips. Everything. I wrapped my fingers in his hair, holding him close.

I was living a fairy tale, every aspect of the perfect romance. I had Jake, my Prince Charming who always greeted me with a kiss. He was handsome, protective, sweet, thoughtful...

I could go on about him in my thoughts forever.

"How was your day?" he whispered against my lips, holding one of my hands in his, pale on tan. My fingers glimmered like diamonds in the sunlight, but not nearly as bright as my family's.

I shrugged and giggled a little as I answered, "It was alright. Much better now, though." He smiled in return, kissing me again, but just a peck this time.

"Good to hear," said Jake. He had been away for most of the day with his old pack members back in Forks, Washington. He made the journey simply to see them, since he hadn't seen the majority of them since my family and I moved to Denali to be with our "cousins". He wanted me to go with him, but I decided that he needed some time alone with his friends and I needed some time to work on my own things.

There were a few moments of pure silence between us before I interrupted it. "I finished a painting today. It's framed on our bedroom wall."

He raised a brow. "Already?" he questioned, "but didn't you just start that one a day or so ago?"

I nodded. "But, today I didn't have anyone distracting me," I teased him.

He gave me an easy smirk and rested is forehead against mine. "Fine," Jacob replied, "I won't distract you anymore."

I looked into his beautiful brown eyes and gave him a poor-puppy look. "Don't _ever_ do that."

That was the end of that conversation. I let Jacob's tender kisses take over me, let the pine trees around us provide a sanctuary. This small empty space in the middle of the pine forest was a place that the two of us shared, it was ours. I came here for inspiration for my paintings. Jake came hear oftentimes to clear his head. And the two of us came here together to find an escape from my parents and everyone else.

That night, Jake and I laid back in each other's arms, soon falling asleep under the light of the moon. I dreamed of him, and it felt like he was dreaming of me, too.

I didn't sleep very long before someone was shaking me. I grumbled, still half asleep when I heard a harsh whisper and the shaking went away. "Back off, blondie," Jacob's voice demanded. He was no longer lying beside me, he was talking to Rosalie, though it was more of a growling. The two had never gotten along very well. I would have interfered, but I didn't have the energy at that moment to come between them. I felt Jacob's arms around me, then, lifting me up. I didn't protest, I just let me him carry me back home.

The house we were living in belonged to the Denali vampires; Tanya, Kate, Garrett, Carmen, and Eleazar. The house was huge, but the only bed in the house was in the biggest upstairs bedroom, mine and Jacob's room. It was supposed to be just my room, but my father couldn't keep Jacob out forever, at least not while I had anything to say about it.

As Jacob entered the house, I could smell the presence of four vampires; my father, my mother, Kate, and Garrett. No one said anything, seeming to ignore the fact that we had even come in the door. Jacob walked up the stairs, into the bedroom, closing and locking the door.

He set me gently on the bed, removing my shoes for me. He then took off his sneakers and climbed in beside me. He let me cuddle up in his chest, nice and warm, as he always was. He kissed my forehead and whispered, "I'll see you in the morning, beautiful."


	2. Chapter Two

The next morning, I awoke in a fog. I didn't usually sleep in very late. Jake had his arms around me and I smiled, not quite differentiating between being awake and asleep. He was still in a deep sleep. I gently pushed a stray strand of hair from his face. That reminded me that I needed to make him cut it, he was getting shaggy both in human and wolf form. My mother told me that he once had long hair that reached a little past his shoulders, but that didn't appeal to me very much. I didn't like the idea of Jake having hair almost as long as mine.

He was so peaceful when he was asleep, I could have laid there for hours and watched him, but instead, I got up to make us breakfast, careful not to disturb him when I got up. Down in the large living room, Emmett sat with Jasper, discussing a game of some sort. Emmett smirked at me as I came down. "Morning, Nes, it's about time you got up, you must have been _really tired_, huh?" I glared at him and as if on que, my father walked in the room, not that he needed to be in the room to hear Emmett's comment. He hated it when Emmett made references like that to me.

"Can it, Emmett," he said harshly, and Emmett did so. Even with Emmett's perverted comments and consistent need to embarrass me, he was my favorite uncle. My father walked over to me, giving me a small smile. "Good morning, Nessie, how'd you sleep?"

"Fine," I answered cautiously, wondering if he would be making comments like Emmett had or if that's what _everyone _was thinking_. _My father's smile wiped clean from his face and he gave me a hard stare. _Sorry, sorry!_ I thought to him, _I can't always help what first comes to mind. _He just nodded and I could tell by the relaxing of his face that he had let it go. "Where's mother?" I asked, distracting myself by starting up some bacon and eggs.

"Gone hunting with Alice, Tanya, Esme, and Carmen," my father answered.

"You didn't want to go?" I asked, my brow furrowed. That was odd, my mother and father almost always went hunting together. He just shook his head. I wondered briefly if the two of them were having a fight. There weren't usually any secrets in the family, but I let it go.

I let silence fall between my father and I. He turned to discuss sports with Emmett and Jasper, which didn't interest me at all. Just as I was finishing the eggs, I heard Jacob trudging down the stairs. I smiled and averted my eyes to the bottom of the stairs where he appeared. He grinned at me and I heard his stomach rumble. "Hungry?" I asked him, though I already knew that he was. He nodded and took out two plates for us, then fixing us both orange juice. I loaded his plate with eggs and plenty of bacon. Jake ate way more than the average person. He snuck in a kiss on my lips and whispered, "Thanks, baby."

"You're welcome," I chuckled.

We both sat down to eat beside each other. Few words passed between us until I took our plates to the dishwasher. "So,what would you like to do today?" I asked him as I came back to stand beside him. He pulled me into his lap and I wrapped my arm around his shoulders. He shrugged, looking up at me.

"I'm game for anything," It sounded as if Jake were going to say more, but he was interrupted.

Emmett laughed and suggested, "How about some baseball?" I saw my father's smile return, for he knew that Emmett was going to suggest it from the start. Jasper grinned, too.

I felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in my stomach just then and I clapped excitedly like a little kid. "Sounds fun!" I exclaimed. _God, Jasper..._ I grumbled, loathing Jasper's unique ability to control my emotions. I glared at him and everyone laughed. "Cut it out, Jasper."

* * *

At the baseball clearing (one we had to construct ourselves especially for vamp-baseball), we had gathered everyone who wasn't out hunting, which included me, Jake, my father, Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, Carlisle, Kate, Eleazar, and Garrett. We split up into teams of four, with Kate and Eleazar serving as umpires. My family tended to cheat when it came to baseball. My team consisted of me, Jake, Emmett and Carlisle. We were batting first.

Carlisle loved baseball, it was easy to tell by the way he acted when we played. He was the first to bat. The first pitch thrown was slammed back, zooming past the infield, only to be scooped up by Garrett's waiting hand. He threw the ball on a rope to second, where Carlisle was sliding in.

"SAFE!" shouted Eleazar with a laugh. Jasper, who was covering the infield for his team, grumbled under his breath and gave Carlisle a grin and a look that said _next time_.

Jake stood near home plate, ready for his turn, so I laughed and took the bat from him, then his hat. I smirked and put his cap on my head backwards. He smirked and mouthed, "that's so hot," as he stepped back. I gave him a wink and turned toward the plate, my hair flipping down my back in long reddish-brown curls. I may not have been near as strong as a true vampire, but I gained a bit of their strength. Jasper pitched a curveball straight down the middle and not a second later, the ball was gone, flying through the woods. My only worry was that my dad would catch it. He didn't, but he was in the pine forest, hunting it down.

I made it to third before my father threw it, Jasper was braced at home plate. I charged for him, running as fast as my feet would carry me. I collided with him, he had blocked my slide to home and when I opened my eyes again, I was on my back. "You're OUT!" I heard Kate shout. I cursed under my breath and Jasper laughed, helping pull me back to my feet.

As the game continued on, the score nearly always stayed tied. In the last inning, Emmett managed to get two runs in, putting us ahead by one. My father was hitting for his team as the last batter and he hit it. Straight to me. A line drive. I'm not near as non-breakable as my vampire family, but I was able to cleanly catch the ball. My eyes were wide as I eyed the ball in my hands. It wasn't until Jake scooped me up onto his shoulders that I heard my teammates congratulating me.


	3. Chapter Three

"Nice job, sweetheart," my father told me as he walked up to Jacob and I after the game. I pulled myself off of Jake's shoulders and smiled at my father. Jake wrapped an arm around my waist, holding me close to his body.

I chuckled and replied smoothly, "Thanks, Dad." I added in a mental note to him, _Grumpy that I got you out, old man?_ He gave me a side-glance and rolled his eyes. _I'll take that as a yes._

Just then, all of us heard an approach coming from the forest. I glanced up to see Tanya and my mother sprinting toward us. My dad looked up, too, smiling at my mom. She stopped beside him and he took her hand in his.

"How'd the game go?" she asked us, "You were scaring off our hunt, so it must have been good."

Jake shrugged his shoulders. "You didn't miss too much, Bells, just ol' Eddy here got showed up by Nessie." I could feel a small blush on my cheeks and I elbowed Jake's ribs.

"Is that so, Renesmee? Good job. It's about time someone showed him up around here," replied my mother, smiling at me. I returned the smile and just nodded. I took a few steps toward my mother. I was almost as tall as her now. Carlisle said that my growing has already stopped, but I wished I would have been at least as tall as my mom. I placed my palm on her cheek and directed my thoughts to the recent game. She closed her eyes, seeing my hit, Jake sliding in home, Emmett taking down a tree to catch a fly ball, and finally, my last play. A smile spread across my mother's lips. "Looks like it _was_ an interesting game."

I nodded and turned my eyes back to Jake, who was smiling down at me. I wanted so much for him to kiss me, I couldn't help but yearn for it.

My father interrupted my train of thought. "What was that, Renesmee?" he questioned. I jumped a little and glared at him. _NOTHING_! My mental voice shouted at him, _Jeez, I wish you would stay out of my head for just two seconds!_ Father's eyes narrowed in warning, I was pushing my luck. I didn't apologize, instead, I stormed away. I could almost feel Jake's confused eyes on me. It was amazing how quickly the atmosphere could shift between my dad and I. Apart from Alice, my dad and I are the only ones in the family that can have a mental argument.

"What was that about?" Jake asked me as he walked up beside me, easily matching my pace.

"Dad's being nosy," I grumbled, fuming with embarrassment and anger.

"Nessie," Jake said softly, grabbing my arm and pulling me against him. "It's fine, babe. You know what they say about eavesdroppers, right?" He smiled at me and kissed my forehead. I took a deep breath and nodded. "He'll end up hearing something he doesn't want to hear."

* * *

Jake and I wound up hunting that afternoon. I didn't usually prefer to drink blood, but hunting kept me away from my father for the time being, so I was more than willing. Jacob phased when we reached the forest, turning into the dark, russet wolf. I climbed on his back and allowed Jake to do the tracking. He lead us to a small heard of caribou on the tundra. Climbing down from Jake's back, I snuck over to a patch of rocks to hide me until an unfortunate caribou wandered by. I braced myself, coiling my muscles to spring at my prey. An old female with a limp passed by my rocks, occupied by the grass and completely unaware of the danger. I unleashed the power in my legs, easily tackling the prey. Since I'm not venomous like a true vamp, the only way I had of killing my prey was to snap its neck, which I had no problem with. Jake didn't usually pay attention to me when we hunted. No matter how much he loved me, he still didn't very much like the way a vampire hunted. I respected that, for I wasn't too fond of the way Jacob just ate the meat whole, like a real wolf would.

I glanced over to see that Jacob had succesfully brought down his target as well. We ate (well Jake ate and I drank) in silence. I managed to stay fairly clean after this hunt, only a few blood stains on the sleeve of my shirt. I hadn't quite mastered perfect, clean hunting yet, but I didn't really care to, either. My father and mother always came home from their hunts just as clean as they'd left, and I'd never understood how it was possible.

Jake and I relaxed after our bellies were full. It was just about five o'clock that afternoon and the sun was about to begin setting. I watched as it began to lower into the horizon, thinking of how beautiful it was. Jake didn't say anything, he just held me there in his arms, occassionally kissing my neck. I was sitting upright in front of him, with his chest against my back. He brushed my hair to the side, gently tracing his lips along my jaw and down my neck and shoulder. I relaxed in his strong embrace, exhaling slowly.

"Talk," he ordered, interrupting the silence. His mouth was still on my skin, the hot breaths burning a sweet flame across my neck. It sent shivers through me. The way he was acting was strange for him. He was always one for physical things, like kissing and touching, but the way he said that one word made him seem so different, like a completely new Jacob Black.

In the fog that was now my mind, I could only conjure up three words to say. "I love you."

Jake chuckled under his breath. Without any warning, he grabbed my hips and turned me over, onto my back beneath him. I was wide-eyed, I could feel it. I was going to ask him what the hell he was doing, but my lips were suddenly very, very busy. "I love you, Renesmee," he said breathlessly into the kiss. This was completely new to me, I'd never seen this side of him. My heart skipped a few beats and then continued to hammer away in my chest. It took everything within me to just barely squeak, "Wait... Jacob..."

Before Jake could respond, stop, or even open his eyes to look at me, a force pushed him back from me. I heard the sickening snap of bones and then the sound of the wolf's growling as he landed back on the ground, bristling and infuriated. I looked up to find no other than my father standing in front of me, facing Jacob.


	4. Chapter Four

**[Jacob's PoV]**

"Dad! Dad! Please!" Nessie begged of Edward, leaping to her feet and pulling on his shoulder, but the vamp was like a statue, and he didn't budge. His entire body was tensed, nearly shaking with fury. The expression he held was exactly the one you would imagine on an angry, overprotective father's face. If this ended in a fight, there would definitely be bloodshed on my part. The odds were now against me. I could feel the pain in my ribs. I knew at least one of them had to be fractured, broken, or something

Edward, not thinking clearly, obviously, pushed Nessie back from him and bellowed to me, his eyes flaring pure hatred and fury. "How dare you, Jacob Black! I'll rip you to pieces, mutt!" His voice was like knives, shredding through my thick wolf fur and deep into my skin. I took a step back and lowered my head apologetically. I knew all too well that the confrontation due to my actions was unavoidable. But, hell, she was pretty much grown up now! When would he accept that? His eyes locked with mine right after that thought and the answer was apparent. He never would.

_Edward, I understand where you're coming from, but this is a bit extreme. She's grown! _I shouted at him mentally, unable to stop myself as my own anger began to surface. I'd never done anything to harm his daughter, why would I start now? I wasn't going to back down from him on this. Yes, she was his daughter and he wanted the best for her, but I'd been with her through her entire life thus far, and I planned to stay. Our business was just that, ours. She was grown now and deserved a life of her own without daddy hovering over her all the time. Edward knew just as well as I did that if I thought it wasn't best for her, I never would have even tried.

Edward took three more strides toward me, intent on making me pay for my thoughts. "It's not that way and you know it damn well, mutt! Her business is _my_ business!"

"Dad, please STOP!" Nessie shouted, tears streaming down her cheeks. All of my anger vanished as I focused on her, the only person that truly mattered to me anymore, crying, because of something I did. A pang of guilt shot through me as I looked past Edward into Nessie's eyes, those beautiful brown eyes.

Edward put himself in my line of sight, blocking me from Nessie. He growled at her as she attempted to stop him again, "Go to the house, Renesmee!"

"NO!" she denied him. Edward turned and glared at her, setting me on edge. I knew he would never hurt her, but still...

The tears didn't move Edward the way they did me. "Now, Renesmee!"

Then, four figures came from the woods.

"What's going on?" Emmett asked, concern across his expression. Behind Emmett came Rosalie, who's scowl was directed straight at me, unsurprisingly. Alice was among them, too. she couldn't see what had happened between Nessie and I, so she was completely in the dark. She obviously had the same question as Emmett, it was written on her face.

Bella came to Nessie's side, wiping away her daughter's tears. Bella held her close, her eyes turning to Edward and I, sharp and demanding an answer. She couldn't be sure which one of us had hurt Nessie, but she would soon find out.

Edward's face twisted in rage and his voice was hard. "Show her, Renesmee. Now."

Nessie looked to me, worry in her expression. I gave her a reassuring nod. I knew Bella well enough. Surely she would take my side on this one. Then again, Edward was probably thinking the same thing.

Bella's eyes wandered for a moment as Nessie placed her palm against her mother's cheek. I could tell by Edward's expression that Renesmee was showing her mother _everything_ that happened. Even when I'd kissed her and literally put her on her back. When Nessie finished, she pulled her hand away and looked up into Bella's golden eyes. I could tell that Bella was torn. She wasn't sure what to think. She turned to Edward first.

"Edward, she _is_ grown now, and she can make her own choices," said Bella, "She doesn't need you on her back all the time, it only hurts the both of you."

I breathed a sigh of relief at this, Bella had sided with me, thank goodness.

"But," Bella hissed, now looking at me, "_You _need to be more careful. You're so thoughtless, Jacob! Coming onto her so unexpectedly? You were asking for trouble!"

I froze there, feeling the vampire eyes all bore into me at once. I could sense what each of them felt about what they'd heard. Emmett smirked, thinking it was rather funny now. "Aw, come on, Ed, why'd you ruin the kid's fun, huh?" Edward glared at his brother, shutting him up entirely. Alice seemed to side with Edward on this. She peered at me and then went over to Nessie. I didn't even have to guess which side the blondie would be on, that was too easy of a guess.

"Let's get Nessie back to the house," Alice said, trying for a comforting smile at Nessie. Nessie just nodded, then placed her hand on Alice's cheek. "Of course," answered Alice.

"NO!" Edward shouted at his favorite little sister.

Alice ignored him and looked at me. "Come on, Jake. We'll have Carlisle look at your breaks."

Edward grumbled to himself and then disappeared into the forest. Bella sighed, "I'll be back soon, honey," she whispered to Nessie, "I'll talk some sense into him. Then you and I are going to have a talk, too." Then Bella was gone as quickly as her mate.

I began to feel the pain in my ribs again when I started walking. I had told Alice and Nessie to head on home, that I'd catch up, but Nessie didn't want to leave me. I sighed, it hurt, and we continued on our way to the Denali house.


	5. Chapter Five

**[Bella's PoV]**

It didn't take me long to catch up with Edward, who was sitting on a rock that overlooked a mountain chain. I sighed and sat beside him. "Edward, you knew it would come to this-"

"But not this quickly, Bella!" he shouted at me, turning to look at me. I knew he was still angry, so I wasn't hurt by his words. He exhaled slowly and constructed himself enough to talk again. "I'm sorry, Bella, I just don't want her making a mistake that she could regret."

My brow furrowed disbelievingly. "Edward, we both know that Jacob would never hurt her. I can't believe you would even think that!"

"He's still a young, reckless adolescent, Bella."

My voice turned to acid for a second, "If you want to get technical, Edward, then so are you!" He looked at me with smoldering eyes. I could see that having almost everyone against him in this hurt him. He wanted the best for our daughter, I knew that better than anyone else. Calming myself down, I spoke softly to him, trying to comfort him. "Edward, she's not always going to be your little girl, you know that. And holding her back like you're doing will cause her to want to leave even faster. I agree that what Jacob did was wrong, but you know our daughter as well as I do, Renesmee would never let Jake control her."

He sat there frozen like a statue for a moment. I could tell that he was thinking hard. I leaned into him, holding his hand in mine. This would be difficult for him. Coming from the time that he did, he would expect more out of Jacob than what the boy was offering.

After about ten minutes of eerie silence, I opened up my mind to him, letting him hear my thoughts. _What are you thinking, Edward?_

To my surprise, he turned and gave me that crooked smile, placing the palm of his hand against my cheek. I smiled and held his hand, still waiting for an answer. "I was just thinking about how fast everything's gone by. I never imagined that I would know the feeling of watching my little girl grow the feeling of protecting her from a boy," he chuckled, then sighed. "I'll try to be more lenient, but I can't promise much."

I smiled and kissed him softly. "Thank you, Edward. I'll be talking with her, too, so maybe I can convince her to hold off for a little while."

Edward laughed, calmer now. "She takes after you, Bella. And I know from experience that convincing you of anything is infinitely close to impossible."

**[Sorry this chapter's so short, guys! Real life stuff going on! May not have the next chapter until tomorrow night. Thanks for your understanding! Review, please, I love to read them!]**


	6. Chapter Six

**[Renesmee's PoV]**

I sat beside Jacob on the couch after Carlisle bandaged him up. He wouldn't need them for very long, Jake was a quick healer. Jake argued, but Carlisle talked him into it.

I was still beyond furious with my father. I couldn't help but feel as though I hated him, which I knew wasn't true, but still. Not only did he break two of Jacob's ribs, he also embarrassed me in front of my mother, Alice, Rosalie, _and_ Emmett. There was no way that Emmett would let _this _one go for a while. And by a while, I probably meant about a century or two. I couldn't believe he would do that. If he had been thinking clearly, my father would have seen that I was about to tell Jacob that I wasn't ready for that, but instead he jumped to the worst of conclusions. As always.

Jake squeezed my hand gently and when I turned my head to look at him, he smiled and kissed my cheek. "Don't stress, baby, he'll come around." I rolled my eyes and turned my head away from him to look out the window. I could tell that this was not the response he was hoping for. "Nessie, I'm sorry."

"You should be, mutt!" snapped Rose from the kitchen.

"Rose, lay off," I mumbled, trying to keep them from starting a fight that Alice or I would have to finish. Jake must have given Rose a snicker behind my back, or maybe it was me that pissed her off because she stormed out the door. Emmett sighed and began to make his way over to the living room. He chuckled quietly as he sat down in the recliner across from Jacob and I. And so it began; the never-ending perverted jokes from my uncle.

"You really should check your surroundings first, Jake," said Emmett, "Even a human could have heard her." I glared at him, but it only sparked his laughter even more. I groaned and got up from my seat. Emmett laughed. "Aw, look at her blush."

Jake laughed a little and then got up to follow me. "Don't listen to him, Nes. He's just mad 'cause he's not getting any from blondie when she's pissed." I heard Emmett's roaring laughter from the living room and I rolled my eyes.

"Shut up!" I shouted, "both of you!" Jacob was taken by surprise at this, but I didn't care, I left him dumbfounded at the bottom of the stairs.

* * *

"May I come in?" a twinkling voice asked from the doorway of mine and Jacob's bedroom. I didn't answer Alice; I just continued to pretend to be asleep. I heard her sigh and approach my bed. "You can stop pretending, Nessie, I know you're awake."

I couldn't hide very much from Alice, she knew me too well. Of all my "aunts," I was closest to Alice. She was every teenage girl's dream best friend. I sat up in my bed, looking at her. "Hey, Alice."

"Hey, honey." Alice smiled at me, her glimmering white teeth reflecting the moonlight that shone through the window. "Rough day, huh?" she asked as she sat on the edge of my bed.

"I'll say," I replied, but I could see that she expected more. She may not be able to see my future, but she had learned to predict an outcome fairly well. "I just wish that Father would have waited just a split second longer. I was about to tell Jake that I wasn't…"

"Ready?" Alice finished for me. She nodded understandingly. "Your father was just trying to protect you. Of course, he wasn't going about it the right way."

"I know he was, Alice, but it seems like he doesn't even trust me to take care of myself. Why is that?" I asked, my brow furrowed.

"He still wants you to be his baby girl," she answered with a twinkle in her eyes. "It's never easy for a father to give up his daughter, or so that's what I hear. Besides, it isn't you that he doesn't trust."

I scowled. "I trust Jake with my life. That should be good enough for him."

"You'll understand one day, Renesmee," said Alice with a smile and a kiss on my cheek. "Your mother is on her way to have a "talk" with you. So you may want to pretend sleep again."

"Thanks, Aunt Alice," I told her sincerely, smiling back at her. She loved it when I called her that, though I never really knew why. "I love you."

Alice replied, "I love you, too, sweet girl." She got up and flashed over to turn out the lights, whispering "good night," as she went back downstairs.

I guessed that Alice had convinced Jacob to sleep on the couch that night, because he never came upstairs. The only person to come in was my mother, who had intentions to talk to me, but had bought my fake sleeping.

In my dreams that night, I saw a face I hadn't seen in a long time, since I was just months old, actually; a vampire with paper-like pale skin and blood red eyes. He wore a long, black coat with elaborate red embroidery. He smiled like an evil clown and held out his hand to me, offering me to come near him. But something told me that this was no peace offering, but an offering of death.

I shot upright in bed, covering my mouth to quiet my scream. I was panting, I must have been tossing and turning during my nightmare, for the comforter of my bed was tangled around me. I calmed myself and tried to slow my racing heart.

A figure stepped in my room, a look of concern crossing his strained expression. "Are you alright?" my father asked me, one hand on my shoulder and the other under my chin, making me look up at him.

I pulled my head away from him abruptly. "I'm fine," I muttered, wiping away the senseless tears that were running down my cheeks.

"Aro," my father stated, "You haven't dreamt of him in years, Renesmee. Is everything alright?"

I nodded, perhaps a little too fast. "I don't know why I'm having nightmares about him again." For nearly two years after meeting Aro for the first time, I couldn't sleep without having vicious nightmares of him slaughtering my family, but this dream was different. In this dream, Aro was after _me_.

"He'll never touch you, Renesmee," my father said with a sharp, acid tone to his voice.

I looked over at my father and then turned onto my side in bed, pulling my blanket up over me. I was still angry with him. _Go away. _I told him through thought. _I'm tired._

He sighed and walked out of the room, stopping at the door. "I love you, Renesmee."

My thoughts remained silent as he walked out.


	7. Chapter Seven

The next morning, I woke up early, as I usually did. The sun was just barely starting to rise in my window. I looked up to see Jacob standing in the doorway. The sadness on his expression melted me. There was no way I could stay mad at him for very long. He walked over and sat next to me on the bed. I looked into his eyes and there was a silence between us for a while. I lifted my head and wrapped a hand around his head. I pulled him to me and kissed his lips. This was my way of telling him that I wasn't mad at him anymore and that I forgave him. His lips were hesitant against mine. I pulled away and whispered, "Jake, it's okay, really. I'm sorry I got mad at you."

"Don't apologize, Ness; that only makes me feel worse."

I sighed. "Please don't be sad, Jacob. Let's forget about yesterday, okay? Please?" I begged him. I didn't want Jacob to sulk about this. I just wanted it to disappear completely. Jake just nodded in response. "Jake," I said and when he looked up at me, I continued in a low, smooth voice, "kiss me."

Something triggered a smirk in Jake and he leaned forward, letting his lips take control. It was a sweet kiss, gentle. Nothing about it suggested anything more than a kiss. Jacob's hand gently pressed to my cheek, caressing the skin there with his thumb. Against my lips, he whispered, "Renesmee, I love you more than anything, and the last thing I ever want to do is hurt you. You-" he hesitated for a moment. I was patient with him, allowing him a moment to gather his words. "You would have told me to stop, right? If I... was hurting you?"

I nodded slowly, my voice just as slow. "Jacob, I just don't want to make a mistake. I'm just afraid that..." My words trailed off and Jacob's face turned concerned. He pushed a stray curl of my hair back behind my ear.

"Afraid of what, sweetheart?" he asked. When I still remained quiet, he continued, "Please, Nessie, you can tell me anything."

I'd always had a hard time admitting things like this to Jake. "I'm just afraid that if... we did, then... it could mess us up. Throw us out of balance or something. I just don't want things to change, Jake."

Jacob sighed and replied. "They will change, Nessie, for the better."

"What makes you so sure of that, Jake?" I asked, raising a brow at him.

He shrugged. "I just feel it. From what I've heard from friends, sex-"

I interrupted him with my hands upraised, palms facing him. "Jake! Okay, okay, don't say that again!"

He chuckled, amused. He knew what was bothering me. "Then what would you like me to call it, Ness?"

"Anything but the _s_ word," I groaned, crossing my legs as I sat upright on the bed.

"Anyway," he continued, "I've heard that it brings people closer than ever. And that's what I'm hoping for us, Nessie. I want to be as close to the true you as I can possibly be." The words took me by surprise. They were so authentic and romantic, almost. I wasn't sure what to say for a moment, so Jake went on. "But, I understand that your not ready. And I'm willing to wait for you, Renesmee."

"Thank you, Jacob," I murmured.

* * *

**[Bella's PoV]**

I relaxed when I heard Jake say those words. That's what I'd been waiting for. _I'm willing to wait for you, Renesmee. _I wasn't usually one to eavesdrop, that was always Edward's job, but I had wanted to make sure that Renesmee wasn't being pressured into anything. After hearing those words from Jacob, I distracted my attention, knowing that there was no need for me to continue to listen to my daughter's personal conversations. I knew that Edward must have been listening, too. He seemed more relaxed beside me. The arm that was wrapped around me seemed less tense. I just hoped that Renesmee would forgive him soon. I knew she would, but it was killing Edward to know that he and his daughter, whom he'd always been so close with, were drifting apart more and more as she grew older.


End file.
